


SSOS Science: Alien Reaper beans

by DarthUmbreon (SperoDeoVolente)



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Planet, Aliens, Alternate Universe, Anglerfish - Freeform, Biology, Courtship, M/M, SSOS, SSOS Science, Science, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 18:51:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13417449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SperoDeoVolente/pseuds/DarthUmbreon
Summary: The science I used for the Reaper beans that will show up in the SSOS fanfiction I'm writing. Also explains Wraith courtship. Poor Gabriel his body does things for reasons he doesn't understand at all.





	SSOS Science: Alien Reaper beans

**Author's Note:**

> There is fan art for this as well.

LHS 1140 b, aka Hades, is not a place to visit on whim. Beyond the dangers of high gravity, the risk of being eaten by a Wraiths is very high. Wraiths will spawn “Mini Reapers” aka Reaper beans. These are full autonomous spawns that come from an adult Wraith. Scientists theorize that the particles that make up Wraiths spawns beans to help eat enough. However, not all adult Wraiths will spawn beans. While “Mini Reapers” aka “Reaper Beans” do exist as a tool to help fill high calorie needs of the host body they do other functions. These small spawns run off the subconscious desires of their host, most notably romantic or sexual desires. Wraiths don’t spawn beans until two conditions are met. The first condition is the Wraith is fully grown, the second condition is that they’ve picked a mate. It is a sign of being a good mate for Wraiths to spawn several Reaper beans to assist with courtship. Wraiths will mate for life. Despite popular opinion they are not happy as solitary hunters and are happier when they have a mate to hunt with.

 

When a Wraith picks another as their chosen mate, their body starts spawning Reaper beans. These beans help the Wraith consume more calories to free up time for courtship. Beans are also known to assist with courtship. Often they will bring the Wraith’s mate gifts as a sign of affection. While they can be reabsorbed, most Wraiths leave their spawn alone to act freely as they wish.   
  
When a Reaper bean is not assisting with courtship they hunt for food. Like angler fish in Terran Oceans, they have an illicium and esca. Similar to Terran Anglerfish, the esca on a Reaper bean glows by bio-luminescence. Humans aren’t certain how the bio-luminescence works on Reaper beans. There has never been a Reaper bean captured alive. Their bodies dissolve and rejoin the host body if taken too far away. Talon captured an unmatched Wraith, and thus, didn’t have any Reaper beans to bring along for study. It is assumed that Reaper beans hunt the same as Anglerfish. They lure in prey with the glow of their esca then eat whatever comes within reach. Reaper beans esca isn’t limited to yellow in color. They can have a wide range of colors for their esca such as orange, red, green, purple, blue, pink, etc. The most common color of Gabriel’s Reaper bean esca is yellow.

 

Gabriel Reyes is not an exception to why Wraith’s spawn Reaper beans. After his body became made up of particles like a Wraith, his body started to react like one. When Gabriel thinks a lot about Jack or is having strong feelings, his body spawns a Reaper bean to aide in his “courtship” of Jack. It’s an uncontrollable reaction to being in love. All of Gabriel’s Reaper beans adore Jack and will often try to bring him “gifts” as a sign of affection. The most common gift is shiny pieces of metal, dead animals, bits of glass or plastic, coins, etc. Reaper beans seem to prefer shiny objects as offerings to Jack. They rarely give dead animals as they’re always hungry and tend to eat their gifts before successful delivery.  

**Author's Note:**

> As always, you can find the creator of the Alien AU at [Jellygay](https://jellygay.tumblr.com), her tumblr dedicated to the Alien AU, [Aliens-got-back](https://aliens-got-back.tumblr.com) or you can stalk my primary tumblr [Spero Deo Volente](https://sperodeovolente.tumblr.com) or my secondary tumblr (which rarely gets any attention) [Avery Wordsmith](https://averywordsmith.tumblr.com).


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